Lerwick
= Introduction = East of Waterdeep, past the old Forlorn Hills and through the beautiful Delimbiyr Vale, and even just beyond the mysterious Southwood lie the mighty Greypeak Mountains. It is nestled amongst the foothills of these stone colossi that one may find a little town called Lerwick. Just over a year ago there was little more to find here than ruins, but now there is a flourishing community, given new life by the Hawthorne adventurer’s guild who began rebuilding it a year ago. Lerwick is a progressive town, with more variety than you’ll find anywhere else in Faerûn. People of all shapes and sizes can be found living and working here. Even some of those that would be considered monsters elsewhere, from goblins and lizardfolk to the kobold tribe which used to live beneath the surface. Despite their differences, they all work together under the banner of the Hawthorne Guild. It’s not all exotic races and adventurers, however. All around you can see common inhabitants working the fields and plying their trades, though perhaps not quite as many as you would expect to find in other towns. The guild provides a strong flow of gold that is readily spent on supporting the town rather than its own coffers, and it is commonly understood that Lerwick would not be what it is today without the aid of the Hawthorne Guild. It has been a stabilizing force in the region ever since it arrived, and for that its inhabitants are grateful. It allegedly is quite a nice place to live… once you can get over the strangeness of its more prominent inhabitants. Walking through the streets you are met with an almost overwhelming variety of sights, sounds and smells, where even the strangest of creatures would barely stand out. The streets are clean and tidy, thanks in part due to an ingenious sewer system that runs underneath, designed by kobolds and built by many of the guild’s members. Strong walls surround the town, and the military camp of the Lerwick Roses regularly send out patrols to keep the town safe, working alongside the Watch to this end. A hospital provides medical services and preserves the dead, while the great central All-Faith temple is there to provide a centre of worship for all the town’s religions. The Scales of Justice was formed, dedicated to maintaining the wellbeing of the common folk. And there is even a recently constructed adventurer-supported university, to provide education for all. Various inns and taverns exist of course, and there are even a few public bathhouses. Lerwick’s reputation How Lerwick is seen varies wildly depending on the perspective of the observer. From most leaders’ view, the high concentration of adventurers makes Lerwick unpredictable and chaotic despite the guild’s rigid internal structure. The guild is also known to be very effective at what it does and far more powerful than its size would suggest. The town seems perfectly fine with breaking societal norms and taboos by, for instance, letting in monstrous races freely and making an official alliance with a green dragon. To some this makes Lerwick dangerous and to be avoided (or even opposed), but some see potential in the upstart guild. In either case, Lerwick’s power calls for caution from even its strongest potential rivals.Merchants are generally quite happy with Lerwick. Their tendency to exterminate any monsters that threaten the roads with a vengeance makes the town’s surroundings quite safe compared to most of the Savage Frontier. It’s just a shame that there isn’t an awful lot of reason for most to go in that direction. The average commoner only hears about Lerwick through the rumor mill, which results in wildly varying accounts. Some describe it as a town where tyrannical, power-mad adventurers rule over enslaved commoners with an iron fist to suit their every whim and need. Others describe it as a romantic haven of adventure and wealth where even farmers live in luxury from the spoils of the adventuring career. Adventurers not affiliated with the Hawthorne Guild generally dislike the town, seeing it as unfair competition that takes away all the work from everyone else. All over Western Faerûn eyes are turned towards Lerwick. Adventurers turning to politics is nothing new, and some have even forged entire kingdoms, but the sheer number of adventurers coming together in this place combined with their success makes it an anomaly to be watched. Greenjuice and the Lore Consultants of the Hawthorne Guild discord server, 2018, Lerwick: Home in the Frontier.